Elevator brakes are an extremely important safety feature. Elevators have different brakes designed for different purposes. The machinery brake is used to hold the elevator car in place during the elevator idle time. The machinery brake may also be used as an emergency brake in certain situations. For example, if a safety contact opens in the elevator safety chain, or during a power failure, the machinery brake is engaged and it can be operated manually by a brake lever, wherein the elevator car may be lowered to a desired position close to a door at a floor level. The machinery brake may also be used for stopping the elevator car for longer periods, for example during maintenance.
Current designs apply a manual lever that is connected to the brake by a single wire. The brake is engaged by releasing the lever, wherein the springs arranged to the brake assembly push the brake pads. The brake is released by pulling the brake lever, wherein the springs are tensioned for example to pull the brake pads off the braking surface.
Problems of the current design include high friction of the brake release mechanism that may relate to insufficient maintenance, faulty material, installation errors or a long brake wire. If the brakes are released manually, similar safety risk relate to engaging the brake.
The purpose of the invention is to solve or at least alleviate the aforementioned problems.